


After and Forever

by kiwilicious



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Cuddles, Fluff, M/M, Sharing a Bed, Tenderly talking in bed, napping together, post-romance scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:01:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29067720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiwilicious/pseuds/kiwilicious
Summary: After Thanatos' romantic confrontation in Zagreus' room, and feelings are out in the open now, Zagreus and Thanatos, spend time catching up.
Relationships: Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 100





	After and Forever

"How do you kill so many things and get Gods know what in your hair, and it _still_ feels soft and smells nice?" Thanatos asked as he laid in bed with his arms wrapped around Zagreus. "It's unreal." He gently nuzzled his face into Zagreus' hair.

"Before I leave every time, I dunk my hair in the scrying pool. I use some of mother's flowers to make it smell nice." Zagreus turned his head slightly. "Please don't tell her."

Thanatos sat quietly for a moment. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"Well, it works, doesn't it?" Zagreus said with a chuckle. 

"You paid for that scrying pool. You could have just had the House Contractor build you a bath."

"I hate baths. It's just sitting in your own filth being bored. I'd rather just rinse my hair and be done."

Thanatos nodded slowly and slightly. "You're something else, Zag."

Zagreus rolled over to face Thanatos and smiled softly at him. "Lots of people say that, and it's only a bad thing fifty percent of the time, so I call that a win." 

Thanatos gazed into Zagreus' eyes, and sighed. "How can you look at me like that?"

Zagreus' smile faded. "Like what? What's wrong?"

Thanatos rolled onto his back, pulling his arms away from Zagreus and setting them on his chest. "I know that I'm difficult, and impossible to talk with. I pushed you away for so long, yet you still you smile at me like I'm the sun and the stars." Thanatos shook his head slightly. "I can't understand."

"Than, please," Zagreus replied, and propped himself up on his elbow. "It was my fault you pulled away. I hurt you. You had every right to avoid me." Zagreus gently laced his fingers through Thanatos'. "I'm so grateful you gave me another chance, and I don't intend to waste it." 

Thanatos turned his head to meet Zagreus' eyes. "I was angry, it's true, but when you started showing me that you really cared for me, it terrified me." Thanatos smiled. "I've always been scared to get close to you because I'm terrified of my own heart. But you, Zag? You _are_ my heart. And I'm never running away from you again." 

Zagreus smiled and tilted his head. He pulled his hand away from Thanatos' and put it on his cheek instead, then leaned in and kissed him softly. Thanatos sighed deeply, and smiled. He pulled away slightly and pressed his forehead to Zagreus'. 

"I've never touched somebody as warm as you. It's an incredible feeling." Thanatos whispered. "I can feel the blood beneath your skin. It makes you feel so . . . Alive."

"I guess it comes with being the 'God of Blood', as Achilles calls me." Zagreus pulled back and raised an eyebrow. "I always wondered why I was the only one in the house to bleed. It was actually why I started suspecting that Nyx wasn't my birth mother. I thought I was half mortal. But now I know that I'm not, and I still don't really understand why I bleed."

"I'm not sure." Thanatos furrowed his brows and shook his head. "Maybe it has something to do with the ritual Mother did to bring you back."

Zagreus' eyes went wide. "Oh." He nodded slightly. "You might be right. That's a really good theory."

Thanatos smirked. "I have those sometimes." 

"What makes somebody a god of something, anyway? Is it just because I bleed that I'm the God of Blood? Do we get to pick stuff like that?"

"I think it's more than that." Thanatos absently traced his finger across Zagreus' jawline. "The fact that I'm the God of Death is mostly a job, albeit one that I'm naturally well-suited for. But you? As much as you die, it's you being alive that defines you. It's that you choose death over and over and still you return. I _deal_ death, but you defy it time and time again. It's not just an immortal thing, it's . . . " Thanatos paused. "The will to live, and keep going." 

"So you're saying I should be the God of Life?" 

"Life, blood, rebirth. I'm saying they're all the same thing." 

Zagreus stared wide-eyed at Thanatos. "That's the craziest, and I think nicest, thing anybody has ever said to me."

"You don't give yourself enough credit." Thanatos tucked a lock of hair behind Zagreus' ear. "I think you're the strongest-willed person in this house. It makes you a real force to be reckoned with.

"Why, Thanatos," Zagreus said with a grin, "it almost sounds like you like me."

"I don't _like_ you, Zagreus," he replied in a low hum and leaned closer. "I _love_ you. Now kiss me again."

\-- -- -- 

Hours passed, and the two of them laid in bed, arms and legs tangled together. They laid in silence, and after a while Thanatos started to snore softly. Zagreus sighed, his fingers passively tracing up and down Thanatos' side. _I should be going. I should be leaving for the surface again_. Zagreus gently untangled himself from Thanatos. As he sat on the edge of the bed, he felt a cold hand grab his.

"Zag," Thanatos said with a sleepy rasp to his voice. "Stay. I know you have a hard time sitting still, but . . . Stay with me a while longer." 

Zagreus looked at his lover, with half closed eyes and messy hair, and smiled. "Than, I'll stay with you forever. Forever is a luxury that we've earned." He laid back down facing Thanatos and softly combed his fingers through his hair.

"You should sleep. You haven't slept since we were kids." Thanatos closed his eyes again. "I'm here. It's okay."

Zagreus closed his eyes too. "I'll try. It's not my strong suit."

"If you try to leave without sleeping again, I'll get Hypnos involved, and nobody wants that." Thanatos smiled, his eyes still closed.

"You make a compelling argument." Zagreus grabbed Thanatos' hand and held it to his chest. He took a slow breath and closed his eyes. As he felt himself drifting off, he heard one last thing come quietly from Thanatos.

"I can feel your heartbeat, Zag."

\-- -- -- 

Zagreus felt himself wake up. His dreams were a blur, but the last moments before waking up were vivid. Fighting his father, not being fast enough to evade him, and finally his father's spear stabbing through his stomach. The heaviness of sleep long avoided, along with the fear of the dream, was hard to shake off. Zagreus sighed and opened his eyes to see Thanatos staring at him. 

"You're awake."

Zagreus sat up a bit. "I am. Gods, sleep feels so strange when you haven't done it in a long time."

"Are you okay?" Thanatos reached out and grabbed Zagreus hand.

"I'll be fine, I just need a minute." 

"Oh," Thanatos replied, and furrowed his brow. "You made a lot of sounds in your sleep."

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

"A bit. I was just worried. You were breathing really hard, too."

"Bad dreams. Nothing to be worried about."

Thanatos leaned his head close and gave Zagreus a gentle kiss, then pulled back and kissed him on the forehead. "I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere."

The two found their rhythm in comfortable silence. There was no need for words, nothing demanded of them, nothing to lose the moment to. They took turns delicately tracing small patterns on the other's skin, and softly drinking in the rare solace. The house is so loud and constant, and some days it feels overwhelming. But here, there was only each other. There was comfort, there was peace, and there was companionship.

After a while, Zagreus was the one to break the silence. 

"Than, I don't want to be the one to ruin this quality time, but is my father waiting for you? He's going to be furious if you're late." Zagreus frowned.

Thanatos chuckled. "I can handle him. What's would he even do to me? Fire me? I am Death. The underworld cannot function without me."

"You're a very intimidating person." Zagreus chuckled. "I mean that in the most flattering way possible."

Thanatos laughed. "Good."

"I'm glad you're staying," Zagreus said quietly. "Leaving is going to be hard, but it's strange. I used to be so desperate to go, but now I can't wait to come home."

"I never thought you would consider this place home."

"Well, as some good friends of mine once sang, 'home isn't where you live, it's who cares when you're gone.' I was such an idiot to take that for granted."

Thanatos smiled. "I think I've heard the song. The next line is 'they follow you to the beyond'. And I will."

Zagreus wrapped his arms around Thanatos' chest and pulled him close. Thanatos let out a deep sigh. 

"Letting myself love you again, it's been such a sigh of relief, like I've been holding my breath around you after all this time. I finally get to exhale." Thanatos closed his eyes. "I'm sorry I took so long to come around."

"It's not your fault," Zagreus replied. "We've always been a mess when it comes to this. I'm too blunt with my feelings, and you're too scared of yours. But we're here now, and that's what matters." 

Thanatos chuckled. "When you're right, you're right. But you know what? We've officially talked about this for too long now."

"We have?" 

"Yes. We don't need to linger on it anymore. We get to be _us_ going forward, and we should be deciding how to do that."

Zagreus flashed a grin. "You're right. But let's talk about it after."

Thanatos barely got his question out. "After what?" 

Zagreus laughed and pounced on top of him, kissing him so hard Thanatos could barely think.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so close to completing Than's romance I can taste it. I've dreamed of Than and Zag three nights in a row. I've never worked so hard to date somebody in a video game. Pray for me, guys. I'm at max hearts.
> 
> Also, the lyrics to "In the Blood" get me real emotional.


End file.
